Firefighters Hone Their Skills with Mount Mock Training

Fighting fires is dangerous work, and to do it safely, firefighters need to train for every conceivable situation and hope that their responses become second nature.

On Saturday, July 8, 2017, members of the Vigilant Hose Company, Rocky Ridge Volunteer Fire Department, Mount St. Mary’s University Public Safety personnel, and facilities management staff gathered at the college to review how to fight fires in campus facilities and to train.

Vigilant Hose Company personnel have been working with Mount employees to update fire department “Pre-Plans” to make sure everyone knows who needs to be contacted and how to react to fires on campus. The goal is to assure maximum efficiency and effectiveness for successful resolution, with minimum disruption and adverse effects.

As Mount Vice President Wayne Green said, “If you are prepared for anything like a flood, then you’ll be prepared for everything else.”

Vigilant Hose Chief Chad Umbel has been overseeing this latest round of fire and emergency services preparedness. He said, “The Mount has always been a huge supporter of our efforts in being prepared to handle emergencies. And, this past year, they’ve again been very gracious and helpful to our firefighters, who have been studying campus upgrades, allowing for updating maps, double-checking access points for utility shut-offs, emergency operational considerations like hydrant access, and utilizing and allowing full access to areas of all buildings on campus.

About twenty firefighters began the training with a review of the Mount’s buildings. VHC Lt. Alex McKenna explained to the group how to enter each building, depending on where a fire might be located. They also reviewed which buildings had sprinkler systems and standpipes.

“The most dangerous building for us on campus is the Terrace,” McKenna said. “The biggest hazard in there is really just the confusion of where you are.” This is because the Terrace is made up of different halls, running in different directions.

The biggest point driven home during the review was that firefighters first need to scout out where a fire is located in a building before deploying hoses. He used Sheridan Hall as an example of what could happen if the fire wasn’t located first. “If you do it wrong, you can go up 800 feet for a 200-foot stretch,” McKenna explained.

Green also told the group that modernizing each building’s fire suppression system was a top priority for the college administration.

The two training exercises were scenario-based. The first involved entering the smoke-filled second floor of Sheridan Hall to find a student who was unconscious in a dorm room.

The second exercise was a high-rise hose deployment to the third floor of Pangborn Hall.

On Saturday, July 8, 2017, members of the Vigilant Hose Company, Rocky Ridge Volunteer Fire Department, Mount St. Mary’s University Public Safety personnel, and facilities management staff gathered at the college to review how to fight fires in campus facilities and to train.